Fire sends two into action

Telephone technician and maintenance man team up to save driver of burning car.

Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2002

Jim Miller had taken five residents to doctors' appointments, hung some cabinets and was checking an elevator when someone screamed, "Fire!"

Residents at Buckingham South retirement apartments had gone through a fire drill earlier Wednesday morning as part of an annual inspection.

But Miller, the maintenance supervisor, knew this was no drill.

Outside the building, phone technician Tina Harper heard the noise from her BellSouth truck. She spotted the smoking Lexus parked in the lot off Abercorn Street.

She saw a man inside the car and heard his engine revving. Smoke and fire rose from beneath the car.

"At first I thought it was exhaust," Harper said. "The more he revved, the higher the flames got underneath the car."

Harper jumped out of her van and rushed over.

Sitting in the driver's seat was Sanford Aroneck.

At first, he didn't understand what the screaming woman wanted. He had just gotten his car back from the shop, where mechanics had worked on it for two months.

The red car, with silver rims and only 33,000 miles, was Aroneck's prized possession. The 85-year-old didn't have a destination in mind when he turned the key in the ignition. He just wanted to see if the car would start.

It did, and then there was Harper, forcing him out, and telling him a fire had started.

Aroneck tried looking under the car, but Harper took his hand in hers and walked him to safety.

She called 911 on her cell phone, but received no answer at first. Then she told those in the office to call 911.

The Savannah Fire Department arrived at 2:23 p.m.

Capt. Mike Crager spotted Miller, who had armed himself with a fire extinguisher, knocking down flames.

Firefighters took over, busting through the hood and extinguishing the fire within minutes.

They stayed for about a half an hour, calming down Aroneck and keeping the engine cool and wet to prevent flare ups.

Harper's body shook after the firefighters were gone and the residents returned to the building.

She had trouble focusing the rest of the day.

After the ordeal, employees and other residents went to Harper and said to her, "You saved my buddy."